Keys/Access
We’ll need a reliable and secure way to access your home to provide services.
Preferred Options:
- Keyless Entry – Give us a code or app access to unlock a keyless entry system at your home, such as an electronic door lock or garage door. If you choose this option, we strongly recommend that you have a backup option for entry (a lock box with a key, giving us a single copy of your key to keep on file, or a neighbor with a copy of your key) in case of power failure or malfunction.
- Provide Your Own Lock Box – Purchase your own lock box for your keys and install it outside your home. Set your own code and let us know the code and location of the lockbox. For your convenience, we have lockboxes available for purchase for $20.
- Use a Ready Pet Go Provided Lock Box – If you do not wish to purchase a lock box, we can provide one at no cost and install it at the location of your choosing on your property. With this option, Ready Pet Go will set the code to the lock box and only our staff will have access to it.
Alternate Options:
We understand that clients in some apartment buildings or condos may not be permitted to install lock boxes or keyless entry systems. In those cases, we offer the following alternate options:
- Pick-up Keys from Concierge – If you live in a building with a full-time concierge, you can leave your keys with them for us to pick up each visit. Please note, however, the amount of time it takes for the concierge to provide the pet sitter with keys will affect how much remaining time we have to spend with your pets and schedule your visit length accordingly.
- Keys on File – We strive to keep as few keys as possible in our possession, but if it no other key options work for your situation, you can give us keys to keep on file. With this option, you’ll give us two copies of all keys required for access (including any gate/perimeter keys/fobs), and the keys will be kept on file for future visits. An additional fee may apply to cover the logistics of key handling.
Please have your keys, lockbox, and/or keyless entry set up and ready for us to test out at the Meet & Greet.
Parking
Our staff will need a place to park within a reasonable distance of your home for visits. Please provide us with any necessary visitor permits to park in your building’s lot or on your street. If free, legal parking is not available on or near your property, there will be an additional charge to cover the cost of paid parking and/or additional time to walk to your home.
Scheduling Service
You can request pet care services through our online scheduling system. We ask that all clients keep their online profile up to date with their contact information, information about their pets, and pet care instructions. Services are scheduled on a first come, first served basis, so it is recommended that you book services as far in advance as possible in order to obtain pet care services on the dates you desire.
Payment
We accept credit/debit cards and ACH (e-check) through our online scheduling system. Our online scheduling system securely stores your credit card or bank account information, and you are charged only if your booking is approved. For our dog walking plans, payments are charged 3 days before the first walk of each month. We also accept Bitcoin.
Cancellations
We understand that unexpected things happen and plans can change. We adhere to a strict no overbooking policy, which means we have to turn away clients once our schedule is full. To ensure that our appointment slots are available to those who need them most, a fee may apply for cancellations with less than 24 hours notice.
Minimum Visits For Pet Sitting
For the health and safety of your pets, for each full day that you are away, we require that you book at least 4 visits for puppies under 6 months (or 1 overnight and 2 daytime visits), at least 3 visits for dogs (or 1 overnight and 1 daytime visit), and at least 1 visit for cats and other types of pets. This ensures that your pets never go too long between feedings and potty breaks.
Return Home Confirmation
Once you have returned home from an out-of-town trip, please let us know. If we don’t receive confirmation that you have returned home and are not able to reach you, we will continue to visit and care for your pets and home on their regular schedule. The additional trips will be added to your bill at your regular rate.
Others with Access to the Home
If there will be anyone else in your home while you’re away, such as a friend, relative, or cleaning service, please let us know. We are typically providing service when people are away, and it can be startling to walk into what we were expecting to be an empty home and finding someone we’ve never met there.
Pet Training
We are happy to be consistent with any training your pet has received, provided it is safe and humane. We will not use harsh, force-based, fear-based, or painful training techniques including, but not limited to, hitting, yelling, alpha rolls, physical molding, choke chains, prong collars, and electric collars.
Equipment for Dog Walking
We ask that you provide a comfortable, well-fitted, secure collar or harness for your dog. We will not walk dogs using aversive equipment, such as choke chains, prong collars, or certain types of “no-pull” harnesses that come across a dog’s shoulders or legs and prevent them from having full range of movement. If your dog is prone to pulling on leash, we ask that you provide a well-fitted, non-restrictive harness for them to prevent injury to their neck from pulling (We’ll be working on loose-leash walking with them on our walks, and you should see this leash pulling diminishing). We’re happy to help you in selecting a suitable collar or harness for your dog if you don’t already have one.
Inclement Weather
Occasionally, heavy snow or other inclement weather may make it unsafe or impossible for our staff to get to your home on time for your scheduled visits. We will never cancel pet sitting visits due to inclement weather, but we may need to come earlier or later than originally scheduled or make other adjustments to our service. When bad weather is in the forecast while we’re pet sitting for you, we’ll reach out to you to let you know and discuss with you what will be the best option to ensure your pets get the care they need, while also ensuring your pet sitter can get to and from your home safely.
For dog walks, we may occasionally need to cancel daily dog walks due to inclement weather. We only do this when the weather is bad enough that our clients are likely staying home from work too. You will receive an account credit when walks are cancelled by Ready Pet Go.